Therapie Bossa-Nova!

Product Notes

'How the French Blues Met the Magic of Bossa Nova.' Elisabeth Blin is a French composer and musician, originally from Saintes, a cultural city in Southwest France, a few miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. In 1994, she moved to Boise with her husband Tom and their teenage son. Elisabeth holds a Bachelor in Music from Boise State University where she studied under the direction of Dr. Joseph Baldassarre. In 2008, she completed a master thesis about Brazilian music and received a grant from the Boise City Department of Arts and History for the public presentation of her project: 'Brazilian Music and Social Consciousness, from the plantations to Tropicalia.' She teaches private guitar lessons and in 2002, she published her own method and CD, 'Acoustic Guitar, Getting Started.' She studied the piano for five years as a child and discovered the harmony of Debussy and Satie. In 1972, she started studying the guitar, mostly self-taught and influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. She gave her first concerts as a Beaux Arts School student in Limoges, France, in 1978, and since, her music has been deeply colored by the spirit of Yes (Steve Howe) and John McLaughlin. In 1989, she started to learn the Bossa Nova style under the direction of the noted French jazz musician, Pascal Gombaud. Ever- since the Brazilian rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim have become the major influence on her song writing. In 1996, she made her first digital recording, Lifetime One, twelve original songs for guitar and vocals. In 1997, Elisabeth received a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts to complete her second project, the CD Lifetime Too: Soul to Soul, a collection of thirteen pieces with three-part vocal harmonies featuring guitar, piano, saxophone, dobro, bass clarinet, and French horn, among others. In 1998, she appeared on a second CD, Orange Dust, for a charity live- concert. In 2000, Elisabeth released her third project, Therapie Bossa-Nova!, funded by a second grant from the Commission on the Arts. The album again featured some of the finest Boise jazz musicians. The Idaho Statesman gave the CD a three star review, pointing out the major influence of the Brazilian composer A. C. Jobim on her music, 'with a touch of Yes, and some nuances of Debussy.' She has appeared in major venues including the Thousand Springs Festival in Hagerman, the Boise River Festival, Art in the Park, Women's Celebration Night, New Year's Eve First Night, Boise Farmer's Markets, and First Thursdays. She currently performs on First Thursdays at the popular downtown Boise French restaurant Le Café de Paris. ____ Press Clippings on Therapie Bossa Nova! " ... What Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar and rock, blin does for the guitar and bossa nova. No mean feat.' Ana Web. Thrive "Elisabeth Blin brings a little bit of Europe to Boise. She's unmistakably French, and irresistibly bossa nova." Idaho statesman "... She is a breath of fresh air in the local music scene." 2 Syllables "She sings in French. She plays the guitar. And yes, it's still bossa nova jazz. But if you've seen Elisabeth Blin and her acoustic guitar in a Boise coffee-house, don't assume that's all you get on "Therapie Bossa Nova!" Blin uses the magic of the recording studio to transform her familiar sparse live sound into a rich, wordly album experience. Local musicians Alan Nielsen (bass clarinet), Sandon Mayhew (saxophone), Vicki Stagi (violin) and Rex Miller (piano) add their own crafts to Blin's slightly eccentric creations. Cumulatively, the vibrant instrumentation carries this music like an ocean breeze. And while you might think that Blin's use of electronic bass and drums would sterilize such organic music, that isn't the case here. She uses a soft touch. Blin's major influence is Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, but she confesses to "a touch of Yes and some nuances of Debussy." That ecclectism keeps her music fresh and inviting. Lyrically, Blin is overjoyed, even awestruck, by the beauty of music and life. (Lyrics are translated into English in the liner notes). Blin is particularly engaging when she layers her vocals, harmonizing with herself in voices that weave together delicately. Just mentioning the phrase "bossa nova" is enough to send most American fleeing in confusion. Listeners who take a chance on Blin's Latin jazz will be won over by her charm on this local CD with exotic flavor." Michael Deeds. Idaho Statesman.

'How the French Blues Met the Magic of Bossa Nova.' Elisabeth Blin is a French composer and musician, originally from Saintes, a cultural city in Southwest France, a few miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. In 1994, she moved to Boise with her husband Tom and their teenage son. Elisabeth holds a Bachelor in Music from Boise State University where she studied under the direction of Dr. Joseph Baldassarre. In 2008, she completed a master thesis about Brazilian music and received a grant from the Boise City Department of Arts and History for the public presentation of her project: 'Brazilian Music and Social Consciousness, from the plantations to Tropicalia.' She teaches private guitar lessons and in 2002, she published her own method and CD, 'Acoustic Guitar, Getting Started.' She studied the piano for five years as a child and discovered the harmony of Debussy and Satie. In 1972, she started studying the guitar, mostly self-taught and influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. She gave her first concerts as a Beaux Arts School student in Limoges, France, in 1978, and since, her music has been deeply colored by the spirit of Yes (Steve Howe) and John McLaughlin. In 1989, she started to learn the Bossa Nova style under the direction of the noted French jazz musician, Pascal Gombaud. Ever- since the Brazilian rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim have become the major influence on her song writing. In 1996, she made her first digital recording, Lifetime One, twelve original songs for guitar and vocals. In 1997, Elisabeth received a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts to complete her second project, the CD Lifetime Too: Soul to Soul, a collection of thirteen pieces with three-part vocal harmonies featuring guitar, piano, saxophone, dobro, bass clarinet, and French horn, among others. In 1998, she appeared on a second CD, Orange Dust, for a charity live- concert. In 2000, Elisabeth released her third project, Therapie Bossa-Nova!, funded by a second grant from the Commission on the Arts. The album again featured some of the finest Boise jazz musicians. The Idaho Statesman gave the CD a three star review, pointing out the major influence of the Brazilian composer A. C. Jobim on her music, 'with a touch of Yes, and some nuances of Debussy.' She has appeared in major venues including the Thousand Springs Festival in Hagerman, the Boise River Festival, Art in the Park, Women's Celebration Night, New Year's Eve First Night, Boise Farmer's Markets, and First Thursdays. She currently performs on First Thursdays at the popular downtown Boise French restaurant Le Café de Paris. ____ Press Clippings on Therapie Bossa Nova! " ... What Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar and rock, blin does for the guitar and bossa nova. No mean feat.' Ana Web. Thrive "Elisabeth Blin brings a little bit of Europe to Boise. She's unmistakably French, and irresistibly bossa nova." Idaho statesman "... She is a breath of fresh air in the local music scene." 2 Syllables "She sings in French. She plays the guitar. And yes, it's still bossa nova jazz. But if you've seen Elisabeth Blin and her acoustic guitar in a Boise coffee-house, don't assume that's all you get on "Therapie Bossa Nova!" Blin uses the magic of the recording studio to transform her familiar sparse live sound into a rich, wordly album experience. Local musicians Alan Nielsen (bass clarinet), Sandon Mayhew (saxophone), Vicki Stagi (violin) and Rex Miller (piano) add their own crafts to Blin's slightly eccentric creations. Cumulatively, the vibrant instrumentation carries this music like an ocean breeze. And while you might think that Blin's use of electronic bass and drums would sterilize such organic music, that isn't the case here. She uses a soft touch. Blin's major influence is Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, but she confesses to "a touch of Yes and some nuances of Debussy." That ecclectism keeps her music fresh and inviting. Lyrically, Blin is overjoyed, even awestruck, by the beauty of music and life. (Lyrics are translated into English in the liner notes). Blin is particularly engaging when she layers her vocals, harmonizing with herself in voices that weave together delicately. Just mentioning the phrase "bossa nova" is enough to send most American fleeing in confusion. Listeners who take a chance on Blin's Latin jazz will be won over by her charm on this local CD with exotic flavor." Michael Deeds. Idaho Statesman.